“loath” and “loathe”

In both these words, the “oa” is pronounced like the “oa” in “goat”, “boat”, and “coat”. When you “loathe” someone, you hate or despise the individual. You have absolute contempt for him. It is also possible to loathe something.

Here are a few examples. * Most people in my class loathe politicians. * Unlike most of my cousins, Mala doesn’t loathe me. * Bala loathes meeting people.

“Loath”, on the other hand, means you are unwilling or reluctant to do something. It is also possible to spell the word “loth”.

Here are a few examples. * My friend Gowri is loath to lend her books to anyone. * The politicians were loath to admit that they had embezzled the money. * Mythreye is loath to tell her parents all that happened.

In terms of pronunciation, the difference between the two words lies in the way the final “th” is pronounced. The “th” in “loathe” is pronounced like the “th”, in “this”, “that”, and “those”. In fact, the word “loathe” rhymes with “clothe”. In the case of “loath”, the final “th” is pronounced like the “th” in “thank”, “thin”, and “three”. We Indians generally don’t make a distinction between these two sounds. So, don’t worry, be happy! Remember the song?

The Hindu- ‘Know Your English’ Series, September 30, 2003

“just the tip of the iceberg”

For most movie buffs, an iceberg is usually associated with one major event — the sinking of the Titanic! The expression “just the tip of the iceberg” was in use long before the ill-fated ship went down. One of the characteristics of the iceberg is that most of it remains under water. Only a small portion of it remains above water; it’s usually the tip that we see floating. In other words, there is more to an iceberg than meets the eye!

When you say that a problem or a situation is just the tip of the iceberg, what you mean is that the problem is much more serious than it appears to be. What you see is only a small part of a really major problem.

Here are a few examples. * The layoffs are only the tip of the iceberg. I wouldn’t be surprised if they decided to close down the plant next year. * The recent riots are just the tip of the iceberg. * The small protests that we see now are only the tip of the iceberg. I have a feeling things are going to turn violent pretty soon.

The Hindu- ‘Know Your English’ Series, September 30, 2003

Which of the following is correct? “At weekends/ on weekends”?

Believe it or not, both are correct. I understand that the British use “at weekends” while people on the other side of the Atlantic prefer “on weekends”. Use whichever one you are comfortable with.

Here are a few examples. * I usually play tennis on weekends. * Rohini never does any work at weekends. * What is Jyothi doing at the weekend? * What are you doing on the weekend?

The Hindu- ‘Know Your English’ Series, September 30, 2003

“T-shirt”

When T-shirts first came out, they were made out of cotton and were used as “banyans” (as we call them in India). Nowadays, a T-shirt can be made of any material and you can buy them in different shapes and sizes – with or without collars and with or without pockets. The first cotton T-shirt came without a collar. When a T-shirt without a collar is spread out on the table or bed it resembles the capital letter “T”, doesn’t it? That’s why it was called a “T-shirt”; because it was shaped like the letter “T”. In the 1950s, when T-shirts became extremely popular both in Europe and America, advertisers realised that they were a great way of promoting products. Soon we had T-shirts with slogans written on them. The title of a well-known book on communication published in the 1990s is called “Can you put it on a T-shirt?”

The Hindu- ‘Know Your English’ Series, September 30, 2003